Thursday, October 28, 2021

Venezuela and Carter Center Agree
on Election Observation

Photograph of the facilities of the National Electoral Council (CNE), on
 October 25, 2021, in Caracas (Venezuela) | Photo: EFE / Miguel GutiĆ©rrez

Published 27 October 2021

The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela and the Carter Center of the United States signed a memorandum of understanding to guarantee the impartiality and objectivity of the observation mission to be deployed by the Carter Center in the regional and municipal elections of November 21.

The Carter Center Electoral Expert Mission and its members will maintain strict conduct of impartiality, objectivity, independence and non-interference in the electoral process and respect for national sovereignty and self-determination during the performance of its mandate, which includes, among others, not interfering in the conduct of the electoral process," said the memorandum published by the CNE.

RELATED:
Venezuela Advances In Preparations For November Elections

The Carter Center is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) and his wife Rosalynn,

According to the document, members of the Carter Center Electoral Mission may be deployed in Caracas prior to the elections to follow the preparations for the elections, as well as the campaign and the electoral event, until the announcement of the results.

Likewise, the CNE committed to guaranteeing the electoral mission freedom of access to its facilities, to the subordinate electoral bodies and to all information on the electoral process.

The Carter Center mission will deliver a report to the NEC in the days following the elections.

The memorandum was signed by the president of the CNE, Pedro Calzadilla, and the executive director of The Carter Center, Paige Alexander.

Earlier this month, three members of the Carter Center were in this South American country evaluating their participation as observers in the November 21 elections, following the invitation extended by the Venezuelan electoral body.

In August 2015, the Carter Center reported the closure of its offices and the cessation of its operations in Venezuela, which it had maintained since 2002.

The Carter Center had not participated as an international observer in Venezuelan elections since 2006.

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